Water Safety/Drowning Education Awareness Program

Reston Community Center and Reston Association are teaming up to improve our community’s safety around its many pools. Drowning remains the second leading cause of injury-related death among children ages 1 to 14 according to the Centers for Disease Control. For every child who dies from drowning, four more receive medical treatment for submersion-related injuries. Together, RA and RCC will be offering DEAP, a “land-based” Drowning Education Awareness Program. This program offers two opportunities targeted for different audiences and community civic groups to learn water safety skills:

Longfellow’s WHALE Tales and Water Safety Presentation.

By working together, RCC and RA strive to provide our community access to healthy and safe fun in all of Reston’s pools. If you have questions or would like more information, please contact either RCC at 703-476-4500 or RA at 703-435-6530.

Current Water Safety Programs

Longfellow’s WHALE Tales (5-12 years old)

This program is offered to Cub Scouts and Webelos, Daisy, Brownie, and Junior Girl Scouts, and day care centers. Longfellow’s WHALE Tales is a FREE 1-hour interactive presentation that provides easy to follow information to help children learn safe behavior in, on, and around the water. Taught in a classroom environment, WHALE Tales makes water safety fun and easy to learn. Each lesson is reinforced with color posters, worksheets, activities, and a video that features Longfellow, the animated whale. Longfellow’s WHALE Tales is an American Red Cross program presented in partnership with RCC. Please contact the RCC Aquatics Office at 703-390-6150, or the RA Aquatics Office at 703-435-6530 to schedule a presentation.

Water Safety Presentation (18 years and older)

This FREE presentation is designed for rotary clubs, PTAs, home school networks, church groups, and other civic organizations and can be scheduled at their facility. This FREE 90-minute presentation (60-minute lecture and 30 minutes Q&A) focuses on the importance of water safety training and provides general information on keeping family members safe in, on, and around the water. Please contact the RCC Aquatics Office at 703-390-6150, or the RA Aquatics Office at 703-435-6530 to schedule a presentation.

Lifeguard Training (15 years and older)

This course provides the American Red Cross (ARC) training required to obtain a job as a lifeguard in any national facility utilizing ARC certified lifeguards. The course includes: Lifeguard Training, First Aid, and CPR for the Professional Rescuer; Automated External Defibrillation (AED) Essentials; and Preventing Disease Transmission. Prerequisites: Students must be 15 years of age on or before the final scheduled class, and must pass the Pre-Lifeguard Stroke Evaluation. Good swimming skills are essential. Must attend all class sessions. Please call the RCC Aquatics Service desk at 703-390-6150, to be put on an interest list for a TBA class.

Water Safety Instructor (16 years and older)

The purpose of the American Red Cross Water Safety Instructor course is to train instructor candidates to teach Swimming and Water Safety Program courses, including the Basic Water Rescue course, the six levels of Learn To Swim, and Parent and Child Aquatics. Prerequisites: At least 16 years old, successful completion of the American Red Cross Fundamentals of Instructor Training within the last 12 months, and successful completion of the Water Safety Instructor Pre-test. Must attend all sessions. Please call the RCC Aquatics Service desk at 703-390-6150, to be put on an interest list for a TBA class.